Talking With Mohsen Ashraf About ‘Syphon Vol.2’

Moshen Ashraf’s Syphon returned to Image Comics recently with a sequel series to 2021’s original award-winning series. With issue #2 now out I took a break from the holiday festivities – something I was more than happy to do; there’s only so much drinking even I can take – and caught up with writer and co-creator, Moshen, to discuss the new series; Sylas’s powers, the key themes explored and much, much more in this very insightful and informative interview. 

Olly MacNamee: So, the first volume of Syphon introduced us to Sylas, the wielder of ancient empathic healing powers who’s not dealing with them very well. The cost is heavy on him, right?

Mohsen Ashraf: That’s right, he starts off using this power the only way he knows how, by literally taking on the pain of others. Shouldering the weight of the world exacts a heavy toll on him physically and emotionally, as it would for any of us in his position. He eventually learns to offset this infusion of negative emotion by letting it out as blasts of energy, like he does in the second volume by striking a punching bag on his rooftop. But in the long run, he’ll need to develop stronger coping mechanisms to better control his abilities.

This power is meant to mirror the reality we all face in our daily lives. Whether we want to or not, we take on the poisons of the people around us by bearing their burdens when they vent to us, carrying their anxiety by being in their proximity, or keeping their secrets that often weigh on us. Now there are healthy ways to empathize with someone and not have it affect you much, but that takes a lot of work and a strong mindset.

MacNamee: And now Volume 2 has just launched and a new evil has arisen somewhere in the Amazon. What can you tell me about that? It seems to have very similar abilities to Sylas and there’s some kind of psychic connection between them too.

Ashraf: Correct, on all fronts! This demon monster is somehow set loose from his prison and is wreaking havoc in the Amazon. Sylas’ use of the power unknowingly played a hand in his release and that created some sort of psychic connection between them. The monster has much darker intentions which will reveal themselves over the course of this series, along with more history and deeper lore of the power, one of my favorite things to explore in any supernatural/fantasy series.

The monster’s backstory also allowed us to introduce an indigenous tribe of the Amazon, and we dedicate one page in the backmatter of each issue to different educational topics related to this.

MacNamee: Another new character you introduce is the mysterious trench-coat wearing woman carrying a crossbow. I’ve been lucky enough to read the second issue. I think it’s safe to say she’s pretty integral to the story, isn’t she?

Ashraf: Yes she is, and also my absolute favorite character to write! It was a long process to build her backstory, motivations, and physical appearance, but once that came together, her voice was clearest in my head when writing the script. She is a quirky but capable crusader, with deep ties to the power, and more than a few secrets that will shock you down the road…

MacNamee: What are the big themes of this second series?

Ashraf: A key theme we explore in this series is the purpose of pain. Obviously a very complex and personal issue, so we address it through each of the main characters in different issues: Livia in #1, Min in #2, Zenia in #3, and finally Sylas in #4. We see this play out to a cathartic crescendo at the end of the series.

We also dedicate one page in the backmatter of each issue to educate on different aspects of this topic.

And while the first volume touched on the relationship between some primal emotions, such as anger often being a mask for fear or sadness, the second volume will focus on the complex relationship between pride and shame, and how both are very necessary in healthy doses.

MacNamee: As well as the fantastical you find room to deal with the ethical dilemma of Sylas’ powers in issue #1 of the new series. He takes pain without consent, which is a huge grey area. Will this be an ongoing theme in Sylas’ unfolding story arc?

Ashraf: I’m glad you brought this up because we wanted to tell more than just one story here. Our goal was to weave in social commentary on nuanced topics like toxic empathy, ethics of consent, and casual abuse of powers for self-preservation. These are all themes Sylas struggles with, not that he’s a bad person, he’s just trying to do what he believes is right based on what feels right to him.

Not everyone will agree with his approach, including his girlfriend Livia, which introduces the underlying conflict between head (methodical & rational) and heart (empathetic & emotional).

MacNamee: You’re co-writing this series with Arish Akanda. How does the collaboration on the writing work in practice? I know he’s a long-time friend and fellow comic book fan, but as Syphon is your baby, are you the Master and he the Padawan?

Ashraf: Ha! Unlike the Sith (or even the Jedi for that matter), I don’t deal in absolutes, and that applies to the creative process too. Syphon is my baby, and while I have a clear plan of where I want to take it, I do appreciate constructive input and opposing views. In practice, I’ll map out the overall story and initial draft of scripts, Arish will then provide his input, and then we’ll go back and forth a few times to refine to perfection. In general, Arish has a great sense of story and this process has helped introduce some really creative plot points.

MacNamee: As well as a new co-writer you have new incoming artist Thomas Hedglen, and inkers Mostafa Moussa and Jagdish Kumar coming onboard too. Not to forget dynamic colours by John Kalisz. A pretty cool looking team judging by the first issue.

Ashraf: Absolutely, we’re working with the dream team here! John Kalisz is an industry legend and has dazzled with his colors once again. Thomas & Mostafa are a new penciler/inker dynamic duo for me, and their artistic styles beautifully balance between sophisticated and striking. Jagdish is an award-winning international artist, so it’s great to have more representation from around the world. And Jeff Edwards and Patrick Meaney from the first volume are still involved as creative collaborators. The Syphon family is strong and growing!

MacNamee: One last one, Mohsen, but a big one. You’ve just finished a novel as well as writing this second series of Syphon. So, what’s the draw of writing comics for you?

Ashraf: Comics offer something no other medium really can – visual storytelling that’s affordable to produce and consume. When I read books, I paint the picture of the words inside my head, allowing me to imagine whole scenes and entire new worlds. With movies you can see the visualization of the story, but then there’s little left to the imagination. Comics offer something in between, and that’s always been really special to me. It allowed comics to tell wildly imaginative and creative stories well before the visual effects industry caught up.

MacNamee: Mohsen, thanks for your time, and your words.

Ashraf: Thank you Olly, for your thoughtful questions and interest in this series.

Syphon Vol. 2 #1 and #2 are out now from Image Comics